The High Road to Taos Scenic Byway
Between Santa Fe and Taos

The High Road to Taos is a scenic back road that skirts the edge of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and a couple of National Forests. Along the way there's lots of great overlooks and some very old towns.

Historically, this route was followed by the Indians when they were looking to avoid the Spanish. As more and more Hispanic settlements happened over time, it was used more for trade and communications among the old plazas. The foothills of the Sangre de Cristo's were among the first areas heavily settled in those days. These days, driving in here is like going back in time a couple hundred years to an area that probably wishes it had been forgotten.